Nietzsche’s Cultural Reception in China: Three Historical Waves and the Transformation of Interpretation Paradigms (1902–2000)

The article analyzes the process of cultural reception of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy in China over three historical waves (1902–2000). The subject of the study is the transformation of interpretations of Nietzschean heritage in the Chinese intellectual space: from utilitarian-enlightenment (first wave) through politicized-ideological (second wave) to academic (third wave). The aim of the work is to identify the cultural logic of each of the three waves and to justify the concept of "elective affinity" (Wahlverwandtschaft) as an explanatory model for the sustainable actualization of Nietzsche's ideas in China. The focus is on key figures of Chinese reception (Li Shicen, Lu Xun, Chen Guit) and the ways of adapting concepts such as will to power (der Wille zur Macht), the bermensch (der bermensch), and the reevaluation of all values (Umwertung aller Werte) to the local cultural context. The methodological basis of the research is based on a comprehensive approach, combining historical-philosophical, comparative-typological, and hermeneutic methods, which allows for the reconstruction of the stages of reception and comparison of Nietzscheanism with traditional Chinese philosophy (Daoism, Confucianism). The novelty of the research lies in the application of the concept of "elective affinity" to explain the mechanisms of intercultural transfer of philosophical ideas and in the synthesis of a wide corpus of Chinese and Western sources, including the works of Li Shicen, Lu Xun, Chen Guit, and contemporary researchers. For the first time within a single work, the three waves of Nietzsche's reception in China are systematically compared, their cultural logic is revealed, and the evolution from instrumental use of philosophy to academic reflection is demonstrated. The conclusions substantiate that Nietzsche's reception in China is not a peripheral episode, but an important component of the global history of Nietzscheanism, allowing for an enriched understanding of Nietzsche's philosophy itself through the lens of Chinese tradition, particularly through the typological similarity between the affirmation of life in Nietzsche and the Daoist concept of "naturalness" (ziran).